Majority disapprove of Obamacare, but Americans split over whether to make it work: survey

By Russ Britt

The dawn of the Obamacare era is fast approaching, and as the enrollment period for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act nears, yet another survey shows the country deeply divided over the landmark law and a similarly wide chasm on whether to make it work or push it toward failure.

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A survey from the Pew Research Center shows that with enrollment beginning Oct. 1 and the law’s implementation scheduled to start Jan. 1, 53% of all Americans disapprove of the law, while 42% approve. Further, among those who disapprove of the law, 27% said lawmakers should do what they can to make it work, while another 23% said they should do what they can to make it fail.

That latter conflict is particularly acute among Republicans. While the lion’s share of GOP members, 85%, disapprove of the law, only 43% want elected officials to do what they can to undermine it. Another 37% of Republicans say lawmakers should make it work as well as possible.

One caveat to this, as well as other similar surveys: A relatively low proportion of Americans feel they have a solid grasp on the law’s implications. The Pew poll results indicates 25% of those surveyed say they understand the law’s impact well, while 39% understand it “somewhat well.” But 34% say they lack a good understanding of President Obama’s health-care overhaul.

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Health Exchange guides investors to the crucial market intelligence they need to keep up with the health care industry, which makes up one-sixth of the U.S. economy. Anchored by Russ Britt, Health Exchange is the essential site for those looking for the most important news, data and analysis on the sector. You can reach Russ at Rbritt@marketwatch.com.